Improvement in corn-shellers



P. SWEENEY.

Com Sheller.

' Paemed an'y 31, 1.865.

:EEE:

/MVE/VTUR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:PETER sWnENEY, or NEW YORK, N, Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORN-SHELLERS.,

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 46,15 5, dated January 31, 1865.

To all whom Iit may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER SWEENEY, of 79 Mangin street, in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Oorn-Sheller; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of tle same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a sectional side elevation of this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the sane, partly in section.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the employment or use of a revolving open cylinder with. a helical flange and pegs, in combination with a series of hoppers situated at suitable distances apart around the periphery of the flanged cylinder in such a manner tlat ears of corn dropped endwise into said hoppers are brought in contact with the flange and pegs ofthe cylinder, and by-their combined action the corn is shelled. The hoppers are composed each ot' three plates, perforated with slots of sufficient size to admit the passage of tle kernels. Two ot' these plates are placed i i a radial and the third in a tangential position, and the radial plates are rigidly secured to the frame, whereas the tangential plate .is made yielding, so that by its action the ears are held in contact with the periphery of the cylinder while passing through the hopper.

A represents a standard, made of wood or other 'suitable material, and supported by legs B or by any other desirable means, in an upright position. From this standard extend two arms, a, whicl form the bearings for the vertical shaft G, to whicl the cylinder D is rigidly attached. This cylinder is open, being composed of` a helical flange. I), and a series of vetical strips, c, from whichA the arns extend which support the cylinder on the shaft U. Said strips are provided with pegs d., which project between the coils ofthe helical flange, as shown in Fig. ll ot' the drawings, and the outer edge of the flange is sharp, like the point of triangular screw-thread.

The cylinderD revolves between two rings, E, which are secured to the standard A-one above and the other below the cylinderand these rings support the hoppers F. These hoppers are composed of three plates each,

two of which are placed in ara dial and the third in a tangential position. The radial plates o' are firmly secured to the rings E, but the tangential plate d' is hinged by means of a pivot, e, to the upper ends of the radial plates, and its lower end is pressed up against the periphery of the cylinder lby a spring, e', ofindia-rubber or other suitable material. By the action of this spring the yielding plate d' is held in an inclined position, as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings, the upperend thereof being far enough from the periphery of the cylinder to admit an ear of corn of the largest size. Suitable holes, f, in the upperring lead to the hoppers, and the lower ring is perforated with suitable openings, through which the cobs escape.

The plates o' dl, which constitutcthehoppers, are provided with slots or apertures g, large enough to let the kernels pass, and the shaft C bears a bevel-wheel, Iz,, which gea'rs in another wheel, i, nounted on the end of a hori- 'zontal shaft, j, which serves to impart motion to the cylinder by hand or'any other suitable power.

The ears of corn are dropped endwise into the hoppers either by hand or they are conducted thereto by 'suitable chutes, and by the combined action of.the helical flange and of the pegs d the shelling operation efl'ected. The kernels escape through the apertnres in the plates of the hoppers and through the open spaces of the cylinder, and the empty cobs drop out underneath. A number of ears can thus be shelled simultaneously, and the Whole operation is eft'ected without requiring any particular attention and with a com paratively small expenditure of power.

Havin g thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The revolving open cylinder D, with a helical flange, Z), and pegs d, in combination with a series of hoppers, F, arranged around said cylinder, and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and described.

2. The perforations g in the plates c/ d', composing the hoppers, arranged substantially as and for the purpose described.

PETER SWEENEY.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. WoLFF. 

